


Worth the Road less Traveled

by ProwlingThunder



Series: The Everlasting List of Shenanigans [163]
Category: Cowboy Bebop, Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star | Outlaw Star
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Gen, M/M, Other, What Gender Is Ed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-25 23:25:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3828784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProwlingThunder/pseuds/ProwlingThunder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt!Fill.</p><p>The first time Jim meets Ed, he's come a long way to get there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth the Road less Traveled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Neopilot00](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neopilot00/gifts).



> Prompt: Meeting – Jim (Outlaw Star) & Ed (Cowboy Bebop)

They meet for the first time in person after knowing each other for six months. It takes that long almost purely because that's how long it takes for the Outlaw Star to get a job to the Sol system; the Warp drive makes distance all but moot, because they're there in a little over two weeks once Gene takes the job, Melfina handling navigation through hyperspace. 

For the most part, Jim spends the time checking on the passengers they've picked up-- three, all business partners of Fred, all heading to earth for reasons they decided not to disclose to anybody-- and checking the cargo manifest about three dozen times.

The cargo is all flash-frozen shellfish heading to some fancy eatery on Mars, but that means the hold has to be climate controlled, and Gilliam mentions no less than thrice a day that _something_ is malfunctioning. As the de-facto ship's mechanic, Jim spends nearly half the trip swapping out space heaters to keep the oxygen filters thawed.

It makes the whole ride impossibly humid. He's more than a little glad when they get their clearance and dock on Mars, because it means he can contact the buyer to come get their stuff from an area with a real breeze.

It also means, when he's done overseeing the pick-up, that there's a red-head in goggles peering at him, wearing a ragged set of shorts and teeshirt, successfully making Jim feel way over-dressed in his jacket and jeans. “Ed?”

“Jim!” The flying tackle-hug, unexpected. But he's rough-housed enough with Aisha that at least he stays on his feet to catch his not-so-digital associate. “You came, you came!”

“I said I'd be here,” though he had nearly talked himself out of it, wary, remembering the last time he'd said he'd meet someone. He'd been so eager, and it had ended with heartbreak; he hadn't been looking for a repeat experience. But then he'd thought about _Ed_ feeling that sort of disappointment, and he'd nearly been sick.

“Edward very happy,” Ed hugged him tighter, clinging to him like a lamprey. Jim patted Ed's back reassuringly.

“That's great. Want to go to the park?”

“Ed says yes!”


End file.
